The Bridge
by boy soldier
Summary: my first story i've been havin a lot of trouble getting the full second chapter up thats why it keeps on going and coming back.but i finally got it up yay! plz R
1. Chapter 1

The Bridge

Disclaimer: I don't own bridge to Terabithia or anything to do with it. 

Leslie sat high perched in the tree house waiting for Jesse. She looked at her watch again, he was fifteen minutes late, and it wasn't like him to leave her waiting. She sat up in the tree and said to herself "I'll wait another fifteen minutes but then I'm gone". She pulled her bright red rain jacket around her and let out a long bored breath.

Jesse ran as fast as he could jumping over fallen branches and skidded to a stop next to the bridge. He picked up a stick and manouvered the hooked end of the branch around the rope before pulling it towards him. He gripped on tightly and kicked off the bank but before he was halfway across the rope snapped and he fell straight into the river.

Leslie glanced at her watch then climbed down out of the tree house and made her way towards the bridge.

The water swirled around Jesse and he couldn't steady himself. He bashed off rocks at the bottom of the river and scraped his knees off the jagged rocks. His head hit off another rock and he lost consciousness.

Leslie trudged through the forest until she could see the clearing were the rope was. Then she squinted and couldn't see the rope she ran towards the river at full speed.

When she arrived there she gasped in horror as she saw Jesse's blue raincoat and his lifeless body lying on the bank. She ran over and pulled him onto his back. She stared at his cut and bruised face for a second before snapping back into reality.

She was clueless as to what to do, what could she do she couldn't cross the river and she had no way of contacting anyone.

Then she remembered the mobile phone that she had gotten for her birthday that her dad had assisted that she brought with her. Thank god for dad she thought.

She quickly called Jesse's house phone remembering that her parents were at a book signing.

"Hello" she said as the phone was picked up by Jesse's mom. "Oh hi Leslie I know Jesse's late but he should be the-"," Mrs.Aarons Jesse fell into the river you have to get down here now!" Leslie said worry strong in her voice Mrs.Aarons dropped the phone and Leslie just heard her shout "Jesse" then the phone went dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter: 2

Jess awoke and was blinded by the brightness of the room but when his eyes adjusted he could see his mother sitting on the side of his bed.

"Jesse" she said and reached forward to hug him but stopped. "What's wrong, mom" Jesse said wondering why she wouldn't hug him. He looked in a mirror beside his bed he didn't look that badly bruised.

"What is it mom" he said again and grimaced in pain when he felt a horrible pain in his side. "Your rib is broken" she said "the doctors said it would be all right again in a couple of weeks" Jess frowned a couple of weeks he'd miss the school races, he didn't care that Leslie always won.

Than he thought, "Leslie, is she okay?" his mom laughed "yes she's fine she wasn't the one who fell into a river". Jesse let out a sigh of relief and looked into his mom's eyes "you and that girl have something special and don't ever let that go Jesse" she said "because she won't" and his mother burst into tears. "What is it mom?" Jesse said, " there's something else," she said between breaths "your paralysed from the waist down" she said her voice twisting as if she was choking.

"What?" he said his own voice beginning to crack he had seen people in wheelchairs and had always felt sorry for them. But he never expected to be in one. "No" he said "I don't believe you' Jesse said and tried to lift up his right leg but it was useless he was paralysed.

When the shock had finally passed over him Leslie visited him. They talked for a while about nothing in particular trying to avoid the accident, as all the doctors referred to it as.

But it was inevitable, Leslie told him not to be worried that she'd still always be his friend and that there was still a lot of things he could do. He could still draw he could move himself around and a whole load of other positives but Jesse still new it would never be the same.

Every day Leslie came into the hospital and told him about school and what was happening in Terabithia and how they couldn't wait for their king to arrive back home. " Hey Leslie," Jesse said "how did you get across the old bridge is broken" Leslie looked at him " did I not tell you that me and my dad built a proper bridge out of wood so you could get across" she said eyes lighting up slightly. "No you didn't," he said.

After three long weeks of boredom Jesse was released out of the hospital. He stared out of the car window the whole way to his house as if everything around him was new. When he arrived home his whole family outside greeted him before being wheeled into the house by his father.

His belongings had already been moved into his new room downstairs. He was delighted at having his own room it wasn't very big but it was bigger then his old room. When he found his sketchbook he got busy on drawing a picture of his new room.

He lied in his bed that night looking out the window at the stars. He looked at his alarm clock it was 12:30. He decided to start drawing the stars and spent hours perfecting it. At 2:30 he decided he was happy with it and fell straight asleep.

He woke up and stretched his arms he reached for his wheelchair and pulled it over to beside the bed. He pushed himself out to the kitchen and was pleased to not have to do any chores. He ate his breakfast quickly; it was much better than what he had gotten at the hospital, and wheeled himself out to the front door. He looked out at his garden and took a long breath in. Everything seemed so fresh so new.

He was just about to go back inside when he saw Leslie running across to his house. "Hi" he said, "hi" she replied. "Do you want to go down to the river?" Leslie asked, "I could show you the bridge." Jess looked at her and said, "Yea that would be good".

He pushed himself along to the end of the road and then Leslie helped him through the forest until they got to the bridge. It looked brilliant it was painted a silver colour and had an archway in the middle.

"Lets go across" Leslie said and began pushing the wheelchair to the bridge. Jesse began to feel uncomfortable and shrugged it off. But when the front wheels touched the first plank Jesse pulled the brakes hard, "what is it?" Leslie asked cocking her head to see him. "Nothing" he said "lets just go back" he finished quickly and turned himself around. "OK" Leslie said, "We'll go".

When they arrived home they went to Leslie's house. They walked through the front door and were greeted by Leslie's father, Bill. They walked into the gold room and Leslie sat down on one of the armchairs. "What do you think happened back at the river?" Leslie asked looking at Jesse thoughtfully, "I don't now I just got scared" Jesse said his cheeks turning red. "Well its understandable you'll probably get over it."


End file.
